Complete and Improper Metamorphosis: Definition, 12 Examples, Pictures

Insect life is a process of development or change in body shape and size that will not return to its original form with various activities. Where these insects perform various movements, grow, reproduce, are sensitive to the environment and carry out metabolic processes. Insect life is a process of development or change in body shape and size that will not return to its original form with various activities. Where these insects perform various movements, grow, reproduce, are sensitive to the environment and carry out metabolic processes.

metamorphosis-perfect-and-imperfect
Complete and Imperfect Metamorphosis

The existence of insects as one of the biotic components in an ecosystem is absolutely necessary. Its presence in the ecosystem results in ongoing interactions between insects and other biotic and abiotic components.


Insects are also a classic example of metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is a biological development process in animals that involves changes in physical appearance and or structure after birth or hatching. Each insect undergoes a process of changing shape from egg to adult form that is ready to reproduce. The orders of insects are often characterized by the type of metamorphosis.

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Definition of Metamorphosis

Quick Read Listshow
1.Definition of Metamorphosis
2.Types of Metamorphosis
2.1.Incomplete Metamorphosis (Hemimetabola)
3.7 Examples of incomplete metamorphosis in animals:
3.1.Examples of Images and Processes of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Grasshoppers
3.2.Examples of Pictures and Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Chickens
3.3.Examples of Pictures and Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Cockroaches
3.4.Examples of Images and Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Dragonflies
3.5.Example Pictures and Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Termites
3.6.Examples of Images and the Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Cats
3.7.Examples of Images and Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Crickets
3.8.Complete metamorphosis (Holometabola)
4.5 Examples of complete metamorphosis in animals:
4.1.Examples of Pictures and the Process of Perfect Metamorphosis Stages in Butterflies
4.2.Butterfly metamorphosis
4.3.Examples of Pictures and the Process of Complete Metamorphosis Stages in Frogs
4.4.Frog Metamorphosis
4.5.Examples of Pictures and Processes of the Stages of Perfect Metamorphosis in Flies
4.6.Examples of Pictures and Processes of Complete Metamorphosis Stages in Mosquitoes
4.7.Examples of Pictures and Process of Perfect Metamorphosis Stages in Honey Bees
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  1. Metamorphosis is a biological process in which animals physically undergo biological development after birth or hatching. This process involves changes in shape or structure through cell growth and cell differentiation (Mysience, 2008). Metamorphosis usually occurs in different phases, starting as a larva or nymph, sometimes passing through a pupa stage, and ending as an adult species.

  2. Metamorphosis comes from the Greek, namely Greek = meta (between, around, after), morphe` (form), osis (part of). Metamorphosis is a change in shape during post-embryonic development. Metamorphosis is a biological process in which animals physically undergo biological development after birth or hatching. This process involves changing shape or structure through cell growth and cell differentiation.

In the process of metamorphosis there is a physical process, the change of skin is called molting. In insects usually experience four times molting. In this process, new skin is formed and forms the necessary organs of the body before adulthood. Some insects, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, and tunicates undergo a process of metamorphosis, which is usually (but not always) accompanied by habitat changes.


Of the many animals that exist in this world, there are some animals whose lives have to go through several different stages before becoming adults. These stages can be seen from changes in the shape of the animal's body. There are many animals that undergo metamorphosis, including frogs, butterflies and insects.


Types of Metamorphosis

The types of metamorphosis are as follows:

  1. incomplete metamorphosis ( Hemimetabola )

Incomplete metamorphosis is a metamorphosis that goes through 3 stages, namely from egg to spleen then to adult animal.

Usually this metamorphosis occurs in insects such as dragonflies, grasshoppers, cockroaches, crickets and others. In incomplete metamorphosis, insects undergo a form from egg to adult that is not conspicuous in their life cycle. The larval or pre-adult form is called a nymph. Nymphs are similar to adults (imago), except for the reproductive organs and wings. Reproductive organs in nymphs have not yet developed, only after maturity the reproductive organs develop and insects can reproduce. In incomplete metamorphosis, no pupa (cocoon) stage is formed.


7 Examples of incomplete metamorphosis in animals:

  1. grasshopper
  2. cockroach
  3. Chicken
  4. Cat
  5. Dragonfly
  6. Termite
  7. cricket

  • Example Pictures and Process Stages  Incomplete Metamorphosis of Grasshoppers

Metamorphosis in grasshoppers

The stages of development are as follows:

  • Egg

Eggs are laid in various ways, some insects attach their eggs passively, for example on Plasmida (walkingstick), others attach eggs to their substrate individually or in groups. The Vrysopidae (Neuroptera) species lay eggs with long stiff limbs; The eggs are at the end of the stalk. Different types of insects (field grasshoppers, praying mantis, cockroaches) lay eggs in packets, called ooteka or egg packs; In one package there are many eggs. The material for attaching eggs or for making packages comes from accessory glands.


  • nymph

Nymphs are young insects that have the same characteristics and shapes as adults. In this phase, the young insects undergo molting (ecdysis). Each stage between molting is called an instar. Depending on the species, there can be 8-17 instars. Nymphs can take anywhere from 4 weeks to several years to develop until they are large enough to mature into adults.


  • Imago

Imago (adult), is a phase marked by the development of all organs of the body properly, including the reproductive organs and wings.


  • Example Pictures and Process Stages Incomplete Metamorphosis in Chickens

The growth and development of chickens is an incomplete metamorphosis phase. Its growth and development begins from the moment it is formed zygote. One zygote cell grows and develops with the "zygote-morula-blastula-gastrula" stage until the formation of embryo. The embryo will differentiate to form various kinds of tissues and organs. The organs will fuse and merge into an orgasm, then grow and develop into adult.

Metamorphosis in Chicken

  • Example Pictures and Process Stages Incomplete Metamorphosis in Cockroaches

Cockroaches in their reproduction undergo incomplete metamorphosis in which their life cycle has three stages of development, namely egg, nymph and imago.

  1. Egg phase: Cockroach eggs are protected by a kind of capsule called ootheca. The eggs hatch after 28 days (German cockroach) and 2 months (American cockroach).
  2. nymph phase: Nymph period 60 days with 5-7 times molting (German cockroach) and 6-12 months with 13 times molting (American cockroach).
  3. Imago Phase: the German cockroach is 12 mm long and 4 mm wide, while the American cockroach is 35 mm long and 13 mm wide.

Adult cockroaches are 200 days old (German cockroach) and 1-2 years (American cockroach).

Metamorphosis in Cockroaches

  • Example Pictures and Process Stages Incomplete Metamorphosis in Dragonflies

Dragonflies go through 3 stages in metamorphosis, namely eggs, nymphs and adults.

  1. Egg phase: dragonfly eggs are covered with mucus so it feels very slippery when held. The eggs will turn into larvae after two days to a week, then transform into nymphs. The change that marks the larvae into nymphs is the molting of the skin.
  2. Nymph Phase: take up to 4 years. During a nymph, dragonflies will molt by changing skin up to 12 times.
  3. Adult animal: after the nymph phase, the dragonfly becomes a perfect and mature animal. Nymphs that want to turn into dragonflies will come out of the water to look for rocks or plants to attach themselves to until they turn into dragonflies.
Dragonfly Metamorphosis

  • Example Pictures and Process Stages Incomplete Metamorphosis in Termites

Termites are insects with incomplete metamorphosis. Termites have a metamorphosis cycle starting from eggs, nymphs to adults which can be in various forms of caste, namely workers, soldiers and reproductive. Only the working caste can eat directly from food sources. The other castes are waiting to be fed by the working caste.

Metamorphosis in Termites

  • Examples of Images and the Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Cats

Cats are animals that reproduce by giving birth. The special feature of animals that breed from giving birth is to have ears. Cats do not undergo metamorphosis. From a cat born to its mother the shape of a newborn cat is exactly the same as its mother.

Metamorphosis In Cats

The female cat will give birth to a kitten, then the kitten will grow into an adult cat. The adult female cat will give birth to kittens. Cats produce children through the way of giving birth (birth). Before the cubs are born, adult cats have a gestation period of approximately 3 months. After that, a kitten was born who could not move agilely. This kitten is not yet able to feed itself. She breastfeeds her mother.


After more than a month old, new kittens can eat other foods. After birth to adulthood, the cat's body does not change shape. Only the size of the body has changed. His movements are getting more agile. Adult cats can climb and jump from high places.


  • Examples of Images and Process of Incomplete Metamorphosis Stages in Crickets

The next example of an animal that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis is the cricket. Crickets take up to 83 days to complete 1 cycle of metamorphosis. The metamorphosis of crickets itself goes through 3 stages, namely the egg stage, the nymph stage, and the adult cricket stage. The egg stage takes 3 days to hatch, the nymph stage lasts 40 days, while the imago stage to crickets is ready to mate and reproduce about 40 days.


Crickets are currently widely cultivated because they have high economic value. Crickets are much sought after by bird hobbyists to be used as food for their favorite birds.

Incomplete Metamorphosis in Crickets
Incomplete Metamorphosis in Crickets

  1. complete metamorphosis ( Holometabola )

Complete metamorphosis is a metamorphosis that goes through stages starting from egg-larva-pupa-imago (adult). In complete metamorphosis, the changes that occur are:

The eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae generally molt four times to form stage one larvae to stage four larvae. In the larval stage, insects are generally very active in eating. Stage four larvae turn into pupae (cocoons).

In the pupa stage, they are not actively eating (fasting period), but the metabolic process continues. After experiencing growth and cell division, differentiation and organogenesis, the pupa will turn into an adult insect (imago).

During metamorphosis, the process repeats as well as in embryonic growth and development until finally the larva turns into an adult form.


5 Examples of complete metamorphosis in animals:

  1. Butterfly
  2. Frog
  3. Flies
  4. Mosquito
  5. Honey bee
  • Examples of Pictures and the Process of Perfect Metamorphosis Stages in Butterflies

Butterfly Metamorphosis Pictures

The process of butterfly metamorphosis: Egg, Caterpillar, Cocoon, and Butterfly. The butterfly metamorphosis process goes through several stages. The first phase is an egg (ovum, plural ova), the second phase is a caterpillar or caterpillar (larvae, larvae), the third phase is a caterpillar. cocoons or cocoons or chrysalis (pupae, pupae) and the fourth phase is insects in the form of butterflies or imago (plural imagine).


Butterfly metamorphosis

  • Egg

The eggs will hatch into larvae after 3-5 days.

  • Larva (Caterpillar)

After the eggs hatch into larvae, the larvae will look for food, but some larvae consume their empty egg shells as the first food ingredient. During growth, the outer shell of the larvae does not stretch, but when the outer skin of the larva becomes very tight, the larvae molt. In general, larvae molt 4-6 times, the molting period is also called instar. When the larvae have reached maximum growth, the larvae will stop eating and then look for shelter and attach themselves to twigs or leaves. At this stage the larvae are already in the prepupa stage and will shed their skin for the last time to form a pupa (cocoon).


  • Pupa (Cocoon)

Although the pupa phase is like a resting period, inside the pupa there is a butterfly formation process that lasts about 7-20 days depending on the type of species.

  • Butterfly

After the young butterfly comes out of the pupa (cocoon) then the young butterfly will crawl up so that its weak, wrinkled and slightly wet wings can hang down and expand freely normal. After the wings are dry, expanded, and strong, the wings will open and close several times, butterfly Young butterflies will try to fly, young butterflies will grow into adult butterflies and are in phase imago.


  • Examples of Pictures and the Process of Complete Metamorphosis Stages in Frogs

Frog Metamorphosis Pictures

Frog Metamorphosis

In general, the metamorphosis of frogs is divided into 4 phases, namely the egg phase, tadpoles or tadpoles, young frogs, and adult frogs. The four phases can be illustrated by the picture above, the following is an explanation of the frog's metamorphosis:


  1. Egg Phase

Just like the metamorphosis of butterflies and metamorphosis of other living things, the process of metamorphosis of frogs also begins with the egg phase. Frog eggs are obtained from the external fertilization of the female egg by the male egg. Frog eggs are generally found in groups because they are held together by a kind of gel.


After laying eggs, the mother frog will generally leave the eggs and let them grow naturally. In one fertilization process, the mother frog can release up to 20,000 eggs with a total of 3 reproductions per year. However, this amount depends on the health level of the mother frog and environmental factors around where it lives.


The development of the egg phase in frog metamorphosis lasts for 21 days. During this time, the embryo uses the food reserves from the yolk for the growth of various organs until it is ready to hatch and become a tadpole.


  1. Tadpole Phase

After developing for 21 days, the embryo in the egg then emerges from the egg shell as a tadpole or tadpole. In the early stages, tadpoles will generally still eat food scraps from their shells until their body functions allow them to find their own food. Tadpoles have a long tail to support their movement in water, external gills used for breathing, and a mouth for feeding.


It should be noted that the function of the gills in tadpoles is exactly the same as the gills in fish, while the food at this stage is algae and other aquatic microorganisms. Tadpoles can be found in various colors, can be green, black, and can also be red. The color of these tadpoles is influenced by environmental factors. The color of the tadpoles will adjust the color of the surrounding environment to camouflage.


For 5 weeks, in the process of frog metamorphosis, tadpoles will continue to experience changes in morphological shape and physiological functions of organs. His hind legs began to grow followed by the growth of his forelegs, and his lungs began to develop in preparation for the entry of a new phase in the metamorphosis process he went through.


  1. Young Frog Phase

After experiencing the growth phase, the tadpole begins to change shape. Its mouth will widen, its gills are gone, its tail is shortened, and its lungs are almost functioning. In this phase, we can see the tadpoles turning into a young frog.

In the process of frog metamorphosis, this third phase generally lasts for 3 weeks until finally the young frog form has been perfected into an adult frog form.


  1. Adult Frog Phase

Exactly 11 weeks after the egg was laid by the mother, the frog's egg has now grown into an adult frog. Adult frogs already have lungs that function as respiratory organs on land. His feet grew strong and had webbing between each toe. While the tail has completely disappeared.


He will continue to develop into adults and ready to reproduce through the process of external fertilization with his partner to start the process of metamorphosis of new frogs.


  • Examples of Pictures and Processes of the Stages of Perfect Metamorphosis in Flies

Complete Metamorphosis in Flies
Complete Metamorphosis in Flies

The fly's metamorphosis starts from the fertilized egg. The metamorphosis of flies which is marked by the change of eggs into larvae is divided into two periods, namely the embryonic period and the postembryonic development period.


Embryonic period is the phase where the fly fertilizes and then produces eggs which then hatch into young larvae in just 24 hours. These fly larvae are sometimes called maggots.


Postembryonic period is the period after the eggs turn into larvae (instar I larvae, second instar larvae and third instar larvae). After instar time completed, the fly metamorphosis will enter pupa phase or cocoons and then later become Imago which is characterized by the development of the wings until finally it becomes a fly with a perfect body.


  • Examples of Pictures and Processes of Complete Metamorphosis Stages in Mosquitoes

Example of Complete Metamorphosis of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes undergo a life cycle process starting from eggs, larvae, pupae, to adult mosquitoes.

Egg phase: Mosquitoes will lay their eggs on damp leaves or dry ponds. Perfect incubation (incubation) occurs in winter. After that the larvae begin to come out of the eggs.


Larval stage: during this period, Mosquitoes will shed their skin

Pupa phase: at this stage the mosquito is in a pupa cocoon which is quite mature and ready to fly with all its complete organs such as the trunk, wings, legs, chest, abdomen, antennae and large eyeballs.


Adult mosquito phase: at this phase the mosquito already has complete organs and is ready to find its own food but before that If this happens, the mosquito itself must come out of the water without direct contact with the water, so that only its feet are allowed to touch water level.


  • Examples of Pictures and Process of Perfect Metamorphosis Stages in Honey Bees

The Complete Metamorphosis of the Honey Bee

Honey bees are insects belonging to the Holometabola group, namely insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. The stages of the insect cycle that undergo complete metamorphosis are: Egg – Larva – Pupa – Imago.

  1. Egg, produced by the queen bee and stored in the cells.
  2. Larvae is a young animal whose shape and nature is different from that of adults.
  3. Pupae is a cocoon where at that time the insect does not carry out activities, at that time also the refinement and formation of organs occurs.
  4. Imago This is the adult or reproductive phase.

Honey bees belong to the order Hymenoptera which have the following characteristics:

  1. Has two pairs of wings, thin like a membrane
  2. Biting mouth type

The honeybee metamorphosis cycle is as follows:

  1. The queen produces eggs and is stored in cells.
  2. Furthermore, the eggs will turn into caterpillars or larvae.
  3. The larvae will enlarge and develop to form pupae.
  4. The pupa changes and develops into the shape of a bee.

Here are 10 examples of animals that do not undergo metamorphosis or incomplete metamorphosis are:

  1. Fish
  2. Eel
  3. Lizard
  4. Turtle
  5. Komodo
  6. Lizard
  7. Bird
  8. Cow
  9. Buffalo
  10. Chicken

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